Gepanzerte-Schule!

In an ongoing attempt to find a balanced German mechanised force, with enough options to attack and defend against a variety of opponents, and how well to tactically play, I have begun a learning curve, with a bit of a back to basics approach.

 I have played this force, both in Mid-war and Late-war incarnations for over two years now, with just about a game a week, but with few victories to show for it... but being stubborn and pig headed I have not given up - largely because I have put a shit load of resources, both money for buying the models, and time to paint them up, to give up on them.

So I am going to find a way to make them 'work'. However I admit I have certainly 'spat the dummy' at differing times, or just declared I needed a break to rest my jangled thoughts...

 So, in an attempt to salvage thoughts from the ashes, I suggested to Paul, a chance to play a sort of 'doubles solo game'; we'd play the same arse of a mission for the GPGs; attacking the Brit Paras in a No Retreat scenario - but the difference being we'd both discuss how we thought mission objective placement and deployment should go, and then discuss each turn as we played it, from both sides point of view...

 This would develop a more global view of the game from start to finish...

We also agreed that if something didn't work, during a turns activity, we would try a reset, at that point and try something else...

 This led to a lengthy game, but many lessons were learned from mutual discussion... some from more past experiences being echo-ed, and others from Pauls insights from the defenders point of view, and how he thought an attack should best proceed...

The force I have chosen to use is a Heer force from Grey Wolf;

HQ; 2 x SMG/P'faust + P'Schrek
Full CBT, w/ SMG/P'Faust
Full CBT, w/ SMG/P'Faust
Heavy Platoon; Cmd 251 + 2 x Stummel + 2 x 8cm armoured mortars w/ obs
Recce; 1 x 250/1 + 2 x 250/9
Panzers; 3 x Panther
Artillery; 3 x Hummels w/ PzIII obs.

The thinking being I have two solid Mechanised Infantry platoons to handle the attack, Recce to mitigate ambushes and lift GTG, Heavy Arty to get ranged in and pound targets (I want to kill what I hit!), Panthers - the ubiquitous Tank killer and infantry support, and the Heavy platoon is my 'versatile' option, being able to support the infantry with direct fire and smoke.

On to the game, Paul took his same Para force as last game, chose an end to defend and placed his objective centre rear of his position. The German objective went down in woods to front left of the German position, the idea being an advance to this position would be screened through hedges and woods and much of the defenders defensive fire in this area would be blocked by the wood and building. The other flank was more open and would allow for the potential of a quicker thrust to the rear...

As predicted Paul then deployed the Brits strongly covering the front objective, with a thinner force on the German right, and howitzers at the back. A fairly typical defense. Since Paul had engineers, he also placed 3 sections of barbed wire covering the approach to the front objective.

As I didn't have pioneers, the wire would be a problem. Not insurmountable, but it slows you down, catching teams in the open, so this wasn't the place to attack... So it was decided to attack down the German right flank, the idea being to push into the central wood and right side corn, and then look which way to go from there with potential to push on to the rear objective, or swing left in to the front flank objective, depending on how the game developed.

Deployment as below, with German mascot well placed...

Deployment and overseer.

It was decided to advance the infantry on foot through the terrain... This went against the grain for me somewhat as I can't help the feeling that I have paid the points for the half tracks so I want them on the board doing something... but so often in the past I have found they have invariably got caught up in terrain, either slowed by it or blogging down on it, or simply given away an easy range in point for artillery, that their use often leads to problems before the game gets properly underway, ham-stringing any German attack later... The half tracks would remain available to be called up later at a more opportune time...

The early stages of the game saw the Germans cautiously advancing into position, and being particularly aware of the LOS from the Para Arty observer. This was blocked by smoke from the mortars allowing the infantry to advance unmolested. Recce had already pushed up to throw back any immediate ambush, forcing Paul to hold his 17pdrs till later.

Paul ranged arty fire on the exposed Panther which hit but bounced but this forced the Panther to move, as I didn't fancy the medium arty support getting called in on top of it, subsequently...

As turns continued, the Germans had got in to position to assault the para engineer pickets. A small mistake by Paul had left them just too far from their supporting main line, so they were taken out without any possible reply from the paras. The 17pdrs did however deploy knocking out one Panther. The remaining two hid behind the wood, till these guns were dealt with.

Boom goes a panther, but infantry are pushing up well...

In the face of the German assault, Paul started pulling back towards an 'Alamo-like' line joining the two objectives...

This allowed the Recce, Heavy platoon stummels and by now the called up half tracks to start swinging round the flank, and MGing Pauls reserves as they were coming on to the board. The paras were admittedly now feeling under pressure.. The hummels had ranged in and taken out two 17 pdrs by this point.. allowing the Panthers to get back into the game with main gun and MG fire, at the paras, keeping the ones on the front objective tied up in place, whilst the rest of the German force were gradually pushing back and compressing the paras onto the rear objective. This was in turn providing groups of targets under templates for the Hummels and Mortars to keep chipping away at, and with more direct fire from the Stummels and Recce too.

The Germans had at one point, tried an assault through the middle, as there was a chance to capture the 17pdrs and deal to more paras... we weighed it up, checked the Def fire, and went for it. Def fire just got 5 hits, but we played on as if only 4 had occurred, took the saves and attacked. I didn't get the best round dice and the Paras motivated and had enough teams to destroy the attacking platoon. So we reset and instead had the German platoon mount up their half tracks and drive back out the way of the ranged in Arty (that had triggered their assault; a 'do or die' moment), thus preserving the platoon. This just reinforced that you can only really hope to attack a weakened position and win, otherwise you are going to get beaten off taking severe losses..., especially where a defense is in depth...

This was about how we called it, through time more than anything. Paul had lost his small platoon of mortars that had come on from reserve, and got shot up, his 17pdrs were down to one gun, the engineers were severely battered,  and the CO had got MG-ed, but Paul still had his 2iC and Urquart, and the rest of his troops bunch up, waiting to get pounded... it was just a matter of time...

The Germans had lost a couple of infantry teams and one panther...

So the lessons learned in the main were...

1. Let the game develop, don't rush in
2. Preserve the infantry, moving through terrain and smoke cover. Watch for observer lines of sight.
3. Leave half tracks off until needed, when they can be effective, then call them up (as per Ambush deployment rules), but bear in mind the turn the arrive they cannot shoot or assault so you need to be thinking a turn ahead...
4. Get artillery ranged in and keep pounding targets that can hurt you; AT guns, howitzers etc...
5. Wait till the opportune moment to attack and do so against weakened positions, with greater force than the defender can withstand.

It all sounds straight forward, but keeping a cool calm head and sticking to the plan, during the game, will be the key to future successes...

Many thanks to Paul for his patience and working though this scenario, is has giving some hope to my mechanised cause!